Wealth Management
Willow Creek Financial views wealth management as an on-going interaction between personalized financial planning and disciplined investment management. Our mission is to help you implement a personal wealth strategy that relieves the stress that often surrounds money and allows you to focus on leading a rich, fulfilling life.
Client Relationship
- We help you identify and achieve your personal financial goals and live your dreams
- We make sure your personalized investment strategy is aligned with your financial goals and tolerance for risk
- We consider tax planning strategies throughout the calendar year to help you achieve the best after-tax total return
- We advocate regularly scheduled portfolio reviews and periodic financial planning updates to keep you on track
- We take our fiduciary role very seriously and strive to always put the client's interests first
- We enjoy what we do and are committed to building long-term, rewarding relationships with our clientele
Staff Relationship
We are committed to providing our staff with a positive, productive workplace with thoughtful opportunities for personal growth and professional development. A number of our employees contribute substantial personal time volunteering within our community and local school systems. Willow Creek supports these efforts with annual charitable contributions reflecting our commitment to the community in which we work and live.
Risk Management
Vanguard founder, John Bogle has an intriguing quantification of risk: "Risk relates to how much you can afford to lose without excessive damage to your pocketbook or your psyche”. Historically market return data suggests that there is a relationship between the level of risk assumed and the level of return that can be expected (i.e. the higher the risk the higher the expected return).
A key step in the Willow Creek portfolio design process is working with the client to determine an appropriate risk profile. The primary factors considered are:
- Risk Capacity - How much risk can you afford to take?
- Risk Tolerance - What is your attitude towards volatility and potential losses?
- Risk Perception - What is your tendency to over-or-under estimate risk?
This broad approach in determining a client’s overall risk profile allows us to successfully incorporate the financial planning process (capacity and needs) with investment management (risk vs. return "comfort level").
Our Process
Hiring a financial advisor is a serious decision. We have developed a process over the years to ensure our services successfully meet a client's needs and expectations. Here is what it would be like to work with Willow Creek Financial.
Introductory Call
Willow Creek speaks with all prospective clientele before setting the first meeting. The purpose of the call is to get an idea of your financial situation, needs and expectations and to describe our qualifications and services. In addition to the logistics and what to bring, we find it helps to encourage you to clarify your objectives before you meet with us.
Initial Meeting
The first meeting is one of mutual discovery. Our goal is to find out where you are and where you want to go. We encourage you to convey and prioritize your financial objectives and concerns, and to decide if our process will work for you.
Financial Planning
Once you do decide to work with us we ask you to carefully complete a Confidential Financial Profile questionnaire and provide us with numerous financial documents such as prior tax returns, payroll stubs, brokerage statements, loan documents, employee benefit summaries, insurance polices, wills, trusts and powers of attorney. This not only gives us a snapshot of your current financial situation, it tells us about your values, concerns and tolerance for risk. We use this information to create the first draft of a personal financial strategy tailored to your specific needs. The draft meeting is a time for candor as much as it is for reflection. If we feel your objectives are unrealistic we will say so and help you to rework goals that are achievable.
Final Plan/ Investment Proposal
The final financial plan Willow Creek presents should clearly reflect your financial goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. By this time we have also reviewed your current investments and will recommend any portfolio changes needed to help you reach these objectives.
Asset Management
Managing assets is an on-going relationship. We use a disciplined, passive investment strategy tailored to each client's unique goals and needs as determined by the financial planning process. When significant changes occur as life unfolds we revisit the financial plan and make adjusts to the portfolio as merited. One big advantage of combining investment management with the financial planning process is that it can reduce risk. The financial plan clarifies the annual investment return (ROR) assumptions needed to meet the client’s personal objectives. This gives the client the peace of mind that there is no need to assume more portfolio risk than is necessary to achieve their personal goals.
Client Communication
One of the values of working with Willow Creek is the ability to speak with advisors and/or staff anytime - whether it is a small concern or a life changing event. We suggest all new clients come in to go over their first full Quarterly Performance Report and for a lesson in interpreting monthly custodian statements. We touch base with existing clients frequently via phone or email. And at least once a year we highly recommend a meeting. An important part of the agenda is to go over the progress made towards the client’s personal objectives and recommend adjustments if necessary
Client Education
In Willow Creek's experience client's that gain at least a basic understanding of the investment process feel calmer and more confident. We take the time to explain our investment philosophy and strategies both through individual meetings and at the client events we host from time to time.